Be GREEN for March

Monday, March 3, 2014

March is a season of rainbows, leprechauns and many people wearing shirts that say, “Kiss Me, I’m Irish!” With all of this St. Patrick’s Day hoopla, this post is also going to focus on something green. Though we won’t be talking about luck or shamrocks, we will be talking about green, or energy efficient, ways to end your winter and start off your spring!

Use Window TreatmentsWhether it’s summer, fall, winter or spring curtains and blinds can be utilized to help regulate the temperature of your home. For example, in the winter having open blinds on sunny days will add heat, although keeping them closed on grey, cloudy days will benefit you by keeping the warm air inside and not allowing it to escape. Conversely, closing the blinds on sunny days in the summer will help your home to stay somewhat cooler.

Insulate Hot Water PipesAdding insulation to the pipes that bring the heated water from the water tank to your sink or shower, will help maintain the heat and prevent energy loss.

Use a Programmable ThermostatProgrammable thermostats are one of the best and simplest ways to increase your home's efficiency. A programmable thermostat permits you to set your home at certain temperatures for specific times of the day. An example of this would be if your home is typically empty during the day, you could set the thermostat to lower the heat a little while everyone is gone, and then turn it back up when you and your family return home. Although this could be done manually, it can be easy to forget to turn down the thermostat as you are leaving in the morning. A programmable thermostat will never let you forget!

Save WaterWe know some of the basic ways to save water: take shorter showers and don’t leave the water running while brushing your teeth. Here are few more. Keep a pitcher of water in the fridge so you always have cold water without having to leave the tap running. Also, in the spring and summer months try sweeping the sidewalk and driveway instead of hosing it.

There you have it, with some green habits and maybe a “wee bit of luck,” you can be energy efficient in no time! Questions? Contact AB. May!